God's soveraignty displayed from Job 9. 12. : Behold he taketh away, who can hinder him? &c., or, A discourse shewing, that God doth, and may take away from his creatures what hee pleaseth, as to the matter what, the place where, the time when, the means and manner how, and the reasons thereof : with an application of the whole, to the distressed citizens of London, whose houses and goods were lately consumed by the fire : an excitation of them to look to the procuring causes of this fiery tryal, the ends that God aims at in it, with directions how to behave themselves under their losses / by William Gearing ...

CHAP. XII.

STudy to behave your selves Chri∣stian-like under all your losses: en∣dure [ VI] them

• ...Patiently,
• ...Thankfully,
• ...Chearfully,
• ...With submission to the will of God.

SECT. I.

[ I] Learn to bear them patiently, what the Apostle saith of the distressed He∣brews after the spoiling of their goods, Ye have need of patience, Heb. 10. So may I say to you that have sustained the loss of your houses, goods and pos∣sessions, ye have great need of patience. As Souldiers have need of good Boots or Shooes to save their feet and legs from being hurt with gravel stones, thorn-bushes, sticks, or other impedi∣ments that may either lie or be hurled in their way: so a Christian-souldier be∣ing armed, and having his feet shod with patience, may by help thereof pass the pikes, and go thorow all losses, cros∣ses, and calamities, that may betide or befall him in the warfare of this world. In patience possess ye your souls, saith our Saviour, Luk. 21.19. As faith gives us possession of Christ, so pati∣ence gives us the possession of our selves. An impatient man is so far from possessing himself, that he loseth him∣self, and tearing himself in his passion, throws all reason out of door, where∣upon follows a great loss; the domini∣on

of the mind is not attained but by patience, the soul is not possessed by your deep counsels, nor by your pru∣dence, nor by your wealth, but by your patience. Impatience exposeth a man to the greatest hazards and dangers: if the Waggoner hath not reason enough to guide the Waggon, saith Augustine, but suffereth the horses to have their heads, they will draw both him and it into destruction: The impatient man is void of reason, and so exposeth himself to ruine, he createth a constant trouble to himself, his life is a burden to him, and he enjoyes the possession of nothing with comfort, that hath not the possessi∣on of his own soul: when people are impatient under every petty loss or small cross, the Lord in just judgement lets greater crosses to befall them to dis∣quiet those that have impatient spirits; and let them expect it, they must look for trouble and vexation all their daies, that give way to this evil of impatience. God in his providence hath thrown you out of possession of your houses; what a sad thing were it for you to be thrown out of the possession of your selves by impatience? Impatience, saith one, is the Daughter of Satan, and the Parent

of folly and madness. An impatient man for the loss of a peny will throw away his purse, and if he hath lost but an handful of corn, he is ready to fire the whole field. I have read of a Noble man that was Lord Chamberlain to the Emperour Rodolphus the Second, that bringing some water for the Emperour to wash his face in a Vessel of Chrystal covered, by his default and negligence the cover fell off and was broken; whereupon the Emperour in a great rage took and threw the Vessel likewise to the ground, uttering these words; Let the devil take the horse, since he hath got the saddle: So by one impa∣tient act he cast away four hundred Crowns, for at so much the Chrystal was valued. Thus a light and lesser e∣vil is oftentimes doubled with a grea∣ter, and small losses through impatience do become great and extraordinary da∣mages. Patience sweetens every loss, and takes away the weight and bur∣den of afflictions: Patience to the soul is as the lid to the eye; for as the lid being shut, saves it from many things that would annoy it; so patience com∣ing between the soul and that which it suffereth, is a great safe-guard there∣unto:

Patience is a Sovereign remedy against all losses and crosses, it cureth all; it keeps the heart from envy, the tongue from murmuring, the hand from revenge, it overcometh our Enemies without weapons, it makes a man a li∣ving Martyr without fire or sword; suppose a man be brought very low in his outward estate, yet if he be pati∣ent, he feels the want of nothing; it is all one not to have the world, and not to need it; he that doth not want, hath enough, patience gives contentment in the midst of want, and then a man may be said to abound; it is all one to be without losses and crosses, and patiently to bear them: no affliction, no loss can be heavy to the patient soul, for pati∣ence wheresoever it is, it beareth all.

SECT. II.

Study to bear your losses thankfully; [ II] In everything give thanks, saith the A∣postle, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you, 1 Thes. 5.18. Hear how excellently Chryso∣stome speaks to this purpose; This, saith he, is the very will of God, to give thanks alwayes; this argueth a soul

rightly instructed. Hast thou suffered any evil, if thou wilt, it is no evil, give thanks to God, and then thou hast turned the evil into good; say thou al∣so as Job, when hee had lost all, The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord; and what evil hast thou suffered? what is it, a Disease? This is no strange thing to us, seeing our bodies are mor∣tal and naturally born to suffer. What! dost thou want money? this may bee gotten here, and lost here. Art thou slandered and disgraced with calum∣nies by enemies? Thou dost not so much suffer injury herein, as they who are the Authors; for he who beareth the evil, is not the transgressor, but he that doth it; whatsoever evils or losses therefore do oppress thee, give thou thanks, and thou hast changed the nature of them: Let us not therefore (as that Father ad∣viseth us) fret, and vex, and fume. Job then did more deeply wound the devil, when being stript out of all, hee gave thanks to God, than if hee had distributed all to the poor and needy; for it is much more to be stript of all, and yet to bear it patiently, gene∣rously, and thankfully, than for a rich

man to give Alms; as it here happened to righteous Job. But hath fire sud∣denly taken hold upon thy house, de∣stroyed thy house, and consumed thy whole substance? remember the suf∣ferings of Job; Give thanks to God, who could, though hee did not, have hindered that mischance, and thou shalt bee sure to receive as equal a re∣ward, as if thou hadst put all into the bosome of the indigent. This he re∣peateth over again, and saith, Thy re∣ward being thankful, is equal to his, who gave all he had to the poor. Chry∣sostome speaks further to this purpose, to them that are apt to be dejected at their poor and low estate in the world. It is fit, saith hee, that not only rich men, but even such as are cast down with poverty, should give thanks to God; not only the healthy, but as well the sick also; not only such as are in prosperity, but also such as live in ad∣versity, it becometh the Saints to bee thankful; it is no such wonder, if men who live in the affluence and abundance of wealth, be thankful; but when our poor ship is weather-beaten with storms, and driven with tempests, then is the time for the trial of our patience,

long-suffering, and thanks-giving: here∣by Job got the crown, and stopped the mouth of the raging adversary, plainly shewing that hee gave thanks to God, not only for the vastness of his wealth, but likewise for the great love which he bare to God, even for his affliction. To give thanks in adverse and cross af∣fairs, argues a minde truly grateful and wise: When thou givest thanks for blessings which thou hast received, thou payest thy debt to God; but when thou givest thanks to him for evils, then thou makest God thy debtor: in the first thou art the debtor, but in the lat∣ter thou makest thy creditour to be∣come thy debtor. As therefore we re∣spect and love our Physician, not only when he giveth us restoratives, but like∣wise when he sendeth us corrosives; not only when hee feedeth, but when hee pincheth us; not only when hee giveth us liberty to walk abroad, but also when hee maketh us close prisoners within; not only for annointing, but al∣so for launcing us; for though the things which be done are contrary, yet the end of both is for our good, viz. for resto∣ring us to health; so must wee for all things praise and magnifie God, and

that the more, because the Physician is a man, and may miss of his end and aym; but God cannot, because of his infinite wisdome and knowledge: there∣fore also we must give thanks to God, not only when he giveth us our hearts desire, but also when our petitions seem not to bee regarded; for when God denieth any thing to his children, he is no less a father to them, than when hee granteth their requests; for wee know not what is conducing to our good, so then whether we be masters of our desires and wishes, or whether wee miss of them, yet must wee give thanks. Thus Chrysostome. To this purpose, Thomas de Kempis speaks ex∣cellently, in his Book of the imitation of Christ. I give thee hearty thanks O Lord my God, that thou hast not spa∣red my faults, but hast visited me with thy stripes for them; inflicting griefs and sending sorrows within & without; thy correction shall instruct me, and thy rod shall tutor me unto salvation. Grego∣ry speaks sweetly to this very purpose. Who can be unthankful even for blows, when as he went not out of the world without stripes, who came into, and lived in it without faults? Therefore he

is of a right judgement, who not only praiseth God in prosperity, but also who blesseth his name even for calami∣ties: if thou shalt by thanksgiving in adversity gain Gods peace with thee, things which were lost, shall be resto∣red with multiplication, and moreo∣ver eternal joys for the time of thy sor∣row shall be surely added. Thanks must bee given to a Father for his scourges and severest discipline; for the blows of a father, are better than the kisses of an enemy.

SECT. III.

[ III] Labour to bear your losses chear∣fully: St. August. speaking of the great joy and courage which the Christian Martyrs had in the midst of their losses and sufferings, hath this expression; Doing and suffering such things, they rejoyced and shewed themselves glad: it was a pleasure to them to obey all his commands, who had suffered more for them; their inexplicable reward set their hearts on fire. The Hebrews took with joy the spoyling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and enduring sub∣stance,

Heb. 10.34. The Lords cor∣rections to his children are very com∣fortable; God's rod, like Aaron's, is a blooming rod, St. James implies no less, even in the first exhortation, which he giveth to the Churches of Christ; for even immediately after the inscrip∣tion of his Epistle, he saith, Count it all joy, my brethren, when, you fall into divers temptations, or tribulations, Jam. 1.2. joy is to bee found in the sharpest trials wherewith God doth exercise his children. True it is! no grievous loss or affliction in it self (if a man turn his thoughts upon it, and upon the smart of it) is comfortable; for it is an evil, and depriveth us of some good; but the right consideration of the Author of it, of his great love toward us; of the minde with which, and the end for which he laies it on us, may make it very comfortable to us. As when a man hath a very dangerous wound in any part of his body, and a searching, drawing plaister, if applied unto it, to get out the corrupt blood, that may be made for the cure of the wound; there can be no comfort in the plaister, as it smarteth, yet comfort in it, as it giveth hope of a perfect cure: so in this re∣spect,

there being many sores in our souls, and much corruption in them, these afflictions are like searching and draw∣ing plaisters, and are not joyous in re∣spect of the smart, but in respect of the hope they give us that we shall be heal∣ed by them; yea, in regard of the be∣ginning of healing, which we feel by them when they are upon us, for even then shall a Christian begin to feel a vent given to the putrifying sores of his heart, and the lusts and corruptions of the same, beginning to languish, which yeeldeth some degree of present com∣fort; but moreover, the Lords Rod is joyous in regard of the future issue; and howsoever it may smart as to pre∣sent sense, nevertheless afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righte∣ousness to them who are exercised thereby, Heb. 12.11. So David, after his afflictions were over, found it was good for him that he was afflicted: was it not good for David, that his Shepherds Crook was changed for a Scepter, that his mean Hood was turn∣ed to an Imperial Crown, that he was advanced from the Sheepfold to a Ma∣jestick Throne, that from wearing Shepherds weeds, he was brought to

be cloathed in purple? These things were good, and David was no way un∣mindful of those large benefits. He took it for a singular great favour that God took him from the Sheepfold, from following the Ewes great with young, and brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his Inheritance; but yet he esteemed it a far greater fa∣vour that God had humbled him in the state of Royalty, as he was when he fled from Absalom his Son: therefore David reckoneth this among the choi∣cest blessings, and saith; It is good for me that I have been afflicted; this I e∣steem more precious than if thou hadst given me thousands of gold and silver. Why was this so good for David? That I might learn thy Statutes. Hi∣therto I have been altogether unac∣quainted with the language of that heavenly Court, I was a stranger to thy divine Law, but I am become a great Proficient in that School, where none are good Scholars but such as are hum∣bled by the Rod of Correction. Great losses and crosses do put into our hands the Torch of Wisdome, and great tribulations do make us truly wise, and though they seem to be very unplea∣sant,

and are many times very unwel∣come, yet they are Lectures of holy Discipline, and therefore we ought to bear them cheerfully.

SECT. IV.

[ IV] Labour to bear your losses with sub∣mission to the will of God: Many Heathens from a Stoical Apathy, from vain-glory, and a vain affectation of praise, from pride and stoutness of sto∣mack, have endured the severest tor∣ments, and suffered the loss of all things with great undauntedness of spirit, and meerly upon certain carnal grounds, and for sinister ends. As

1. That impatience is no part of manhood, but meer childishness of spi∣rit.

2. That impatience may much ag∣gravate, but cannot ease us of our trou∣bles, or remove them.

3. Because others suffer with them, it is the common lot of mankind to suf∣fer.

4. Because there is an inevitable ne∣cessity that they must be born; feras non culpes, quod vitari non potest; that must be borne that cannot be avoided, saith Seneca.

5. Because they cannot last alwayes, therefore they will endure them. But as August saith well, there is no true virtue where there is no true Religion; they are not right, unless they be fruits of the spirit. True Religion teacheth us to bear losses, and endure afflictions out of love to God, and in obedience to Gods Command, and with submis∣sion to his will. There are some who are possessed with a spirit of obstinacy, that they disdain to bow under the yoke, and (though the rod smart never so much) to testifie any submission or remorse. Pharaoh was such a one; how terribly did God lash him with a ten∣stringed whip, yet still he hardens his heart against him, and relenteth no more than if he had struck upon the side of a rock: and Ahaz was such a one, he is branded and stigmatized for it, 2 Chron. 28.22. God for his wickedness had delivered him up into the hands of his Enemies, and they held him in captivi∣ty and thraldome▪ yet in the time of his distress he did more trespass against the Lord; This is that King Ahaz. Now the ground of true patience is the will and pleasure of God. The Orator in his definition of patience, made it to

be a voluntary and constant suffering, honestatis & utilitatis causâ, for credit or for profit sake: but it is not cre∣dit or profit that we must aim at in the bearing afflictions, but we must have an eye to God in it, and it must be for his sake altogether, whatever we do, or whatever we suffer. Now consi∣der, it is his will to lay these tryals up∣on you, it is his pleasure you should be exercised with them, this must teach you to bear them quietly, and not to murmure against him, but to hold your peace and be silent. I was dumb, saith David, and opened not my mouth, be∣cause thou didst it. Let others make a virtue of necessity▪ Quia necessitas sio cogit, because necessity so constrains them, they must do thus, and they can∣not do otherwise; let them yeeld be∣cause of this: Consider thou what the pleasure and will of God is, Quia Deus sic jubet, because God seeth it good for you, and so appointeth it; submit thou therefore to his will without mur∣muring. I have read of Sir Thomas More, being returned from his Embas∣sie beyond the Seas, and being far from his own house, with King Henry the VIII. that in the moneth of Au∣gust,

part of his dwelling house, and all his Barns (being then full of corn) were burnt up and consumed by a sud∣den fire; his Lady certifying him of this sad mishap; he answereth her Let∣ter in this manner.

Madam, all health wished to you; I do understand that all our Barns and Corn, with some of our Neighbours likewise, are wasted by a fire: An hea∣vy and lamentable loss (but only that it was Gods will) of such abundance of wealth: but because it so seemed good to God, we must not only patiently, but also willingly bear and submit to the hand of God so stretched out upon us; God gave whatsoever we lost, and see∣ing it hath so pleased him to take away what he gave, his divine will be done: never let us repine at this, but let us take it in good part; we are bound to be thankful as well in adversity as in prosperity, and if we cast up our ac∣counts well, this which we esteem so great a loss, is rather a great gain; for what is necessary and conducing to our salvation, is better known to God than to us. I entreat you therefore to take a good heart, and to give thanks to God for all these things which he hath plea∣sed

to take away, as well as for all his blessings which he hath bestowed on us, and to praise him for that which is left: It is an easie matter with God, if he please, to augment what is left: But if he shall see good to take away more, even as it shall please him, so let it be: I pray thee be joyful in the Lord with my children, and all our family; all these things, and all we, are in the hands of the Lord; let us therefore wholly depend upon his good will, and so no losses shall ever hurt us. Oh how good is it under all losses to conform our wills to the will of God! How willingly did David submit to the will of God, when he fled from his rebelli∣ous Son Absalom, and commanded the Priests and the Ark to return into the City, and told them, that if he should find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he would bring him back again, and shew him both it and his habitation; but if he say, I have no delight in thee, behold here I am, let him do to me, as seem∣eth good in his eyes, 2 Sam. 15.25, 26. Behold here David in a most sudden and hasty flight, in extreme straits, in deep distress, the whole Kingdome be∣ing even lost in appearance, then did

David submit himself wholly to his di∣spose; he submits to the authority, so∣veraignty, and dominion that God hath over him. There is not any sacrifice more grateful to God, than under any losses or crosses to yeeld consent to the good will and pleasure of God. S. Au∣gustine speaks excellently to this pur∣pose; Doth the gold shine in the Fur∣nace of the Goldsmith? it will shine and shew its lustre in a Ring, in a Chain or Bracelet; let it yet suffer the cruci∣ble, that it may come out purged from its dross to the publick view. There is the Furnace wherein is dross and gold, and fire, at which the Goldsmith blow∣eth; in this Furnace the dross is consu∣med, the gold refined; the one is turn∣ed to ashes, the other is cleared from all filth: The world is the Furnace, the wicked are the Dross, the righteous are the Gold, tribulation is the Fire, and God is the Goldsmith; I do there∣fore what the Goldsmith will have me; where he putteth me I en∣dure, I am commanded to bear, he knoweth best how to purge: Though the dross burn to heat me and consume me, yet it wasteth it self, and I am pur∣ged

from silth, because my soul waiteth upon God. It is meet therefore we should beg this at the hands of God, as once that devout man did. Behold, O my loving Father, I am in thy hands, I bow to the rod of thy correction, I kiss it; strike my back and my stiff neck, that I may bend my crookedness to thy right and strait will; give me above all things to enquire after the good plea∣sure of thy good will.

Notes

• Chrysost. Tom 5. Ho∣mil. 68.
• Idem in c. 1. ad Rom. homil. 2.
• Idem in Psal. 148.
• Idem in Gen. 11. Homil. 30
• Thom. de Kempis de imitat. Christi, l. 3. c. 5.
• Gregor. Pastor. part 3. ad∣monir. 13.
• Aug. Serm. 12. de sanctis.
• Ferre de∣cet patien∣ter onus, quod ferre necesse est. Qui jacet invitus, durius ille jacet.
• Seneca.
• Psa. 39.
• August. in Psal. 60.
• Tho. de Kempis. de imitat Christi, lib. 3. ca. 5.